Avye: Keeper of the Gate
by just2spooky
Summary: The Haradrim never intended to join Sauron. When an emissary for the Haradrim seeks passage through Lorien, Haldir is instructed to accompany her back to Harad. There, a regicide takes place that changes the coarse of the war, and their lives, forever.
1. Into the Darkness

Disclaimer: LOTR, and all of its characters are not mine. Sadiya is.

Synopsis: The Haradrim had never planned to join Sauron. Although the kin-strife wars were not forgotten, the people of Harad had no need to tangle themselves in the wars of their Northern brethren. Upon returning from the council of Elrond, Sadiya is forced to seek passage through Lorien. Haldir is instructed by Celeborn to accompany her back to Harad. Soon after their return, a regicide takes place that may alter not only the course of the war, but the lives of the marchwarden and Sadiya forever.

Note: So here is a story that has been in my head for years, but suddenly had to be written. I have mixed book and movie, and added a bit of my own imagination, especially with the Haradrim, who are something of an enigma, although they did fight on Sauron's side (stick around!). Sadiya is pronounced Sah-dee-ah. For short, its Sadi - Say-Dee. I've made Sarehna the capitol of Harad, nor Urdon. Sarehna is my own creation, and made for logistical reasons. So please stick around for the story, and I hope you enjoy it!

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Sadiya apprehensively eyed the dark tree line up ahead, mentally kicking herself for ending up on the borders of Lorien. Her original trip to Rivendell had taken a week longer than necessary specifically to avoid the bleak mountain pass she had just taken, and the forest her horse was carrying her closer to with every rolling stride. Dusk had just begun to settle around her on the plain, but under the trees, it looked to be pitch black.

Sadiya was an emissary for the Haradrim, a people that remained little more than a menacing unknown to most of Middle-Earth. Their realm lay in the scorched desert lands south of Gondor. It had been generations since the kin-strife wars had raged and Hyarmendacil II had triumphed over the Haradrim, who still referred to him by his original name Vinyarion, refusing to say his chosen name, which essentially meant "South - Victor." A strained truce had been in place with Gondor since the Kin-Strife wars, but their contact with the men of Gondor was limited to occasional trade caravans along the Harad Road. It was from these caravans that the first whispers of a growing darkness in Mordor reached the high council in the capital city of Sarehna. They were dismissed as fantasy at first, but upon reports of increased Orc activity in the North, and darker still, rumors of the Dark Lord's return, Sarehna's council began to take notice. Then word reached them of a summoning of the nations to send representatives to the Council of Elrond. The Harad were hardly old allies of the elves, having had little to no contact with the races of middle-earth farther north than Gondor, and had little desire to ensare themselve's in other nations problems. However the advisors though it prudent to gain first hand information and had sent Sadiya to participate in the council, and report back to them.

Sadi shook her head, banishing thoughts of what she'd heard there. Despite her thick black cloak with its hood pulled up and the wrap covering the lower half of her face, she shivered as her horse took his first step between the ancient and towering trees. The Harad may be isolationist, but nothing compared to those of the Lorien forest.

It was said that the entire race had retreated to the middle of their dense woods, shunning contact with the outside world, even losing most contact with their own cousins in Mirkwood and Rivendell. It was said that occasionally they would send elves out to gather news before retreating back into their city in the woods. None had appeared at the council.

Now that Sadi was in the forest, the dense canopy blocked all but the most resilient of the remaining light. It was colder too. Her horse's warm breath slowly curled and drifted upwards. By the time she registered the twitch of her horse's ears and the tensing of his muscles under her, it was already too late. Sadi found herself looking down the shaft of an arrow aimed directly at her throat. She didn't have to look around to know that it wasn't the only one poised to end her short existence if she made a wrong move.

Looking down the arrow, she saw a tall figure, but his face was shrouded from view by a fur-lined hood. He spoke at her in a language she didn't understand. The little light there was illuminated the tips of the arrow, which seemed to edge closer to her. He must have seen she couldn't understand, for he then stated in Westron, "Drop your reins, raise your hands in front of you Haradrim."

She promptly followed the orders, taking a deep breath to focus on keeping her hands steady.

"Now," the elf spoke again, "Keeping your hands in front of you, dismount and step away from your horse. Make no attempt to run, you would be dead before your first step." Sadiya promptly followed orders, and wondered in the back of her mind if anyone would be stupid enough not to, with at least five arrows clearly prepared to make good on the elf's promise.

As soon as she had stepped away from her little black gelding, another hooded elf stepped forward and deftly removed all the weapons she had on her, and then silently disappeared into the darkness along with another elf leading her gelding, which let out a nervouse nicker.

Sadi was left surrounded by three elves, faces all hidden by fur-lined hoods, all a good head taller than her, and all with arrows at the ready. The forest was now pitch black, with the exception of a few shafts of moonlight, and totally silent except the sound of ageless branches creaking above as the wind whistled through them. Sadiya suddenly felt very small, and very stupid. She should have found another way home.

"First Orc raiding parties along our borders, and now a Haradrim!" the elf in front of her quipped, "Whatever horror shall traipse into Lorien next?" he laughed without mirth. The other two remained ominously silent. Sadiya had been nervous before, but now she felt a cold and dark fear wash over her. She was trapped in this horrible forest with some aweful group of recluse elves who would not only kill her, but mock her first. If she wasn't so scared, she would have been mad. "Tell me Haradrim, why do you set foot in the Realm of the Lady of the Wood?"

Sadi's dark kohl-lined eyes snapped open, although she hadn't realized that she had scrunched them shut, and looked at the hooded elf in front of her. He was so still, he could be made of stone. The only movement visible was the slight movement of the hairs on the fur lining of his hood as the breeze whispered by.

"I am returning to Harad from the Council of Elrond. I was forced to cross over the mountains after my original route proved not only to slow for the news I bear, but also to dangerous for a party of one due to the increasing Orc activity, which you yourself noted. I simply seek passage through the Lorien woods, I bear no ill intent," she explained, hoping that this would be acceptable, and that they would return her horse and let her on her way, although she knew the odds of that were as good as a desert monsoon in the dry season..

"Ah, and I should just take your word on that Milady?" the elf in front of her stated coolly. Sadi felt her small flicker of hope squelched.

"Regardless," he continued, "this is not for me to decide. In the morning we will take you to the Lord and Lady in Caras Galadhon. Your fate will be decided there. Tonight you will be under guard, but given the chance to rest in one of our flets." The three elves lowered their bows and the one in front of her started giving out orders in their own tongue, and Sadi attempted to find relief in the fact that she was still alive.

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I will hopefully have the next chapter up later tonight. Let me know your first impressions!


	2. Into the Light

As promised, Chapter 2.

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Staying in the flet was a mere courtesy for the Harad girl. The elves needed little sleep, but it was clear that the girl did. The flet was a platform high up in the trees that could only be accessed by a rope ladder that was attached from an opening in the middle of the structure. It had no sides, and the roof was simply a dense canopy of leaves. It did have a small transparent mobile screen used to block the sometimes frigid wind. Haldir had instructed Rumil to guard her through the night in a flet separate from the one occupied by Haldir and the rest of the guard. He doubted she was much of a threat to any of them, but risks were not to be taken.

As he pulled himself up onto the flet at first light, Haldir saw that his courtesy had been for not. The girl had obviously not slept at all. The mobile screen was currently an impressive looking death grip by the girl, whose knuckles were white from the pressure she was exerting. Her hood and face covering had fallen back, revealing a better view of her in than was possible in the dark of night. She wasn't what he would have expected of the Haradrim, even with his limited knowledge of the race. He had heard that they were a slight, dark, and swarthy breed of men. Instead, he found himself looking at a pale girl, dark circles from lack of sleep under kohl-lined dark blue eyes that slanted slightly upward at the outside corners. Those eyes peered up at him now, slightly obscured by dark tresses that had worked themselves free of a hastily tied knot. Well not peered exactly. Glared. Haldir noted in surprise that she was glaring accusingly at him.

"Today we make the trek to Caras Galadhon were the Lady Galadriel will decide your fate. For the trip, you must be blindfolded," Haldir watched as dismay and then anger flitted across the girl's face.

"What?! Blindfolded on top of this blasted pile of wood you stuck me on up here?!" exhaustion had obviously loosened her tongue, "If you want to push me off, just do it, you don't have to make it some sadistic game!" she cried, throwing up her arms. Then, realizing she had let go the screen she obviously thought was the only thing keeping her from falling, she gasped and immediately resumed her death grip on its side. Seeming to decide she was now safe with the screen, she continued her tirade, "Or better yet, take me down, drop me where I entered, I will turn around, and never set foot in your horrible Lothlorien again!"

Haldir made sure his expression and tone remained unaffected. "It is too late for that, for you have entered the realm of the Lord and Lady, and whether you live or die is upon their sole discretion. Perhaps this is something you should have considered before entering."

He then strode over and placed the dark blindfold over the glaring blue eyes, "Since you are obviously petrified of heights, perhaps you should be thanking me for this, as it was dark when we brought you up here, sparing you a true look down," he stated coolly. Having secured the blindfold, he then easily lifted her up. She began to protest, especially at letting go of her screen, but she promptly transferred her death grip onto Haldir's cloak. "Now please, stay still until we reach the ground." Her mouth was set in a firm line, and she gave an almost imperceptible nod. With that Haldir strode over to the rope ladder, and holding the girl with one arm, used the other to maneuver them safely to the forest floor below.

*******

Sadi's feet ached. Her legs felt heavy with fatigue. The day before had been a long and hard ride, and the night on that platform in the trees had not resulted in a moment of rest. They finally came to a stop, and she was allowed to sit down. A water-skin was placed in her hands, and she gratefully took a long drink.

"I give you my word I will not attempt anything, will you please remove this blindfold?" her voice rang out, breaking the silence that had been upon them since they left the platform.

The cool voice of the elf who had placed the blindfold on her replied from what sounded like a few feet away, "It is not up to me, it is simply the rule."

Quiet remained for a few minutes and the elf seemed to take a little pity on her and softly said, "I am Haldir, March Warden of Lorien. What is your name?"

"Sadiya, although most just call me Sadi," she replied quietly. Suddenly, a wave of homesickness washed over her. She sadly wondered what had happened to her little horse. Her tunic was feeling stiff and uncomfortable as the cold sweat that had drenched her the night before had now dried. Her hair, at least the hair that was still secured in the knot on the back of her head was making her neck itch. She suddenly found herself thinking of the peaceful nights in the desert she had spent underneath the stars, which she may never see again. If Lady Galadriel thought her to be an enemy….Sadi struggled to stop herself from thinking of all the things she would miss. Haldir noticed the slight droop in her shoulders as she remained quiet, and asked no more questions. Sadi felt someone help her up, and they continued on their march.

***

After another short trek, they once again came to a stop. Sadi heard Haldir murmur to the other elves in their language. The hand on her arm dropped, and was replaced by what she guessed to be Haldir's hand as she heard the other elves move away.

"We are going to be going up stairs now. They are directly in front of you. Lady Galadriel knows of your presence, and she will make a decision on your request of passage through Lorien."

Sadi managed a small nod, feeling a tight knot settle in her stomach, "And if my request is denied?"

"Your fate is not mine to decide, but were you perceived as a threat, you will most likely be executed," was his quiet reply.

"By you?" Sadi asked morbidly curious. It felt odd to be walking with her possible executioner.

"If you are truly of no threat to us, you have nothing to fear," was his response, avoiding her dark question.

They continued the rest of the way in silence.

***

Sadiya hear great doors creak open in front of her, and her footsteps echoed as though they were in a vast hall. She couldn't help but shudder as she realized that this may lead to her death sentence. A hauntingly low and beautiful voice rang out.

"Sadiya, you claim to be an emissary of the Haradrim seeking passage through our realm. Your kind has never set foot in Lorien before. Why are you here now?"

Sadiya took a deep breath before finding her words, "My Lady, I am on my return trip to Sarehna, our capital city, having attended the council of Elrond. The information I learned there is extremely pressing, and in addition to this, I deemed my original route too dangerous in light of significantly increased Orc activity, and then found the sole route open to me lead me straight through Lorien…." Sadi trailed off then, trying to prevent herself from rambling with her nervousness. She then gasped, as she heard clear as day in her head, that ethereal voice of Galadriel.

"If you knew our history, you would understand our wariness of those claiming to be emissaries," the voice stated coldly. Sadie felt despair seep into her shock. The voice then rang out in the hall again, but in a much different tone, she addressed the hall "She bears no ill intent, and will do no harm. Sadiya, you may pass through Lorien."

Sadi felt the blindfold lifted off of her head, and she blinked her eyes, the light blinding after hours of dark. She quickly registered the vaulted ceiling of the hall, an elf at her side, and then her over stimulated eyes fell upon the Lady of the Golden Wood. Sadiya dropped to her knees as awe washed over her.

The Lady glowed. Silver gold hair hanging to her waist, and a delicate white gown intensified the glow. What was so striking about the Lady was simply an otherworldly presence unlike anything Sadiya had ever seen. Galadriel was surely the closest thing to a God Sadi had ever seen. The thanks that she had been about to give died on her lips.

"Haldir, see that our guest has comfortable lodging for the duration of her stay," Galadriel murmured, looking at Sadi with kind, if slightly amused eyes. She then rose and silently glided out of the room.

Sadi was still on her knees when she saw a hand lowered in front of her to assist her up. She gratefully took it, all of her exhaustion coming flooding back. She turned to look at Haldir, who she had barely glanced at in the moments before he blindfolded her. She now took in the sight of the tall broad shouldered elf, who's honey gold hair was set in intricate braids. Sadi looked up and made eye contact with his ice blue eyes that were assessing her in a friendly and slightly curious manner. She felt her stomach knot, and attributed it to the past few hour's tension. Glancing down and suddenly became acutely aware of the layer of grime covering her.

"May I offer my apologies for our less than hospitable treatment of you the past day Sadiya, but it was my duty, and I'm sure that you can understand our extensive precautions in light of recent events," Haldir said as his eyes studied her, trying to gauge her reaction.

Sadi was to tired to think much, and in a rather pleasant mood in light of her freedom. She also had to admit she been in his position she doubted she would have done anything differently. "Consider it forgiven, even that horrible platform," she replied, corner of her mouth quirking up.

Haldir gave a smile, "Shall I show you to your room?"

"Yes please!" Sadi replied a little to enthusiastically, causing Haldir's smile to widen.

The walk to the room was a blur for Sadi, she was too tired to take in the scenery around her. Haldir left her at an ornately carved door, murmuring that a bath would be drawn up for her promptly. She murmured her thanks and entered the room, sitting down on what she decided must be the most heavenly bed she'd ever seen. She had intended to wait for her bath, but promptly fell asleep before they'd even brought the tub.

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	3. Ancient Ways

Thank you to all of my reviewers!

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Haldir silently observed as Lord Celeborn took aim at the distant target. The dawn light played off dew resting on the tall grass, and illuminated the silk of spider webs built in between the delicate stalks. The morning mist lent a blue haze to the field. Letting loose the arrow, it streaked by and hit it's mark dead on. Celeborn gave a satisfied nod, and turned to acknowledge Haldir's presence. "Good morning Marchwarden, thank you for coming."

Haldir bowed briefly, and Celeborn continued, "I trust you saw the Harad girl comfortably settled."

It was more of a statement than a question, but Haldir responded nonetheless, "I have my Lord, to my knowledge she has been asleep since yesterday afternoon."

"Good. She lives because," he paused as he handed his quiver and arrows to an anonymous attendant, "Because Galadriel saw no malice in the girl, and she does indeed simply desire passage through. Not only that, but according to Galadriel, she is firmly against what she believes the Dark Lord will bring. That being said, I am still wary of the men of Harad. I do not think the memory or resentment left over from the kin-strife wars has ever fully faded. To my knowledge they have a truce with Gondor, but I'd hesitate to believe more than that possible."

Haldir nodded, but remained quiet, waiting for Celeborn to finish.

"If what we hear of Mordor rising again is in fact true, I see war as being inevitable. In that situation, one has to wonder what side the Haradrim will fall on. The girl having been sent to the council of Elrond seems to imply that they are firmly on our side, however, I would not believe it till I see it. With Gondor already in a weakened state, with one open front against Mordor, who is to say that the men of the Haradrim will not exploit their obvious advantage? Gondor cannot fight a war on two fronts, and if Gondor falls, the evil in Mordor will reach its tentacles closer to Lorien, threatening all that we hold dear. Nenya cannot protect us from such as that."

He stopped here, looking up through the canopy of the mallorn trees. The sun was stronger now, burning off the last of the mist, and casting a golden light through the dense canopy. The evil that Celeborn was talking about on this morning seemed another world entirely from the serenity of Cara Galadhon.

"The time has come for you to once again leave Lorien, Haldir, and gather information. You will return to Harad with the girl, find out if they do intend to back up their ancient enemies, or if Gondor will have to prepare for war on two fronts. It is time that we once again honored our ancient alliance with the men of Gondor."

Haldir frowned, "While I completely agree with the necessity my Lord, am I not needed more urgently to protect our borders? Is there not someone else more suited to the task?" He had no desire to leave Lorien for some parched southern desert nation, and he did believe that his place at the border was far more important.

"Rumil and Orophin will prove more than adequate in your absence. You are one of the few elves remaining with us that has a broad enough grasp on the Westron language. You will leave as soon as the Harad is ready," Celeborn responded in a tone that brooked no argument. He then turned and motioned for his arrow and quivers. Haldir took this as his dismissal and with a bow, left the field.

* * * *

Sadiya decided that after days of hard riding, a hot bath was second only to a soft bed. Sighing with delight, she sank deeper into the warm water. She thought of the lovely bath houses of Sarehna, with pools of warm water too deep to stand in, but then decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and to enjoy her tub of water while it was warm. She had awoken mid-morning to the bath being drawn for her by two lovely elf maidens, both with that glowing light and demeanor that seemed to encompass all of Lorien. At least what she'd seen from her window. She had smiled and offered them her thanks, and she hoped that they understood at least the message if not the words.

Glancing around the room, she noticed her saddle bags along with the staff and daggers they had removed from her two nights ago sitting in the corner. This sucked Sadi back into reality and reluctantly she pulled herself out of her warm sanctuary to begin drying off. She planned to spend just one more night in Caras Galadhon before setting out again at first light. Sadi felt the news that she bore was of the utmost importance, and should not be delayed any further.

The nation of the Haradrim had isolated itself for several centuries. The most minimal of trading occurred over the Harad road with Gondor, and they had a burgeoning trade industry springing up with several island nations through their port of Urdrom, from goods brought in along this route, along with national products such as silks, horses, and certain agricultural curiosities. Gondor had the raw materials, such as lumbar, wool, and steel, that the Harad were unable to produce on their own. The trading was however very limited by both the high taxes the government placed on imports from Gondor and the hesitancy of any traders to establish too many close ties with Gondor for fear of upsetting government officials, who frowned upon the practice.

Sadiya thought this policy absurd, outdated, and stifling. The Harad had to move past ancient resentments, and the first step was to establish strong and plentiful trade with Gondor, along with the rest of the north. Not just a truce, but a full alliance with Gondor was a step towards a prosperous nation. Sadiya had voiced this many times to the high council previous to her current trip, and to the Emperor. She had managed to convince many of the most high ranking officials. The Emperor also seemed to agree, although he was reluctant to displease one man.

The Emperor Calhaldium would never willingly displease the young general Olimnor unless he though it absolutely necessary. He thought of Olimnor as a surrogate son, having never sired any of his own. Sadiya frowned, yanking harder at the knots in her tangled hair just thinking of him. She believed Olimnor to be a darkly manipulative and arrogant bastard. More than that he had a vision for the Haradrim that was very different than both the Emperor's and the council. Olimnor wanted to expand the borders of Harad, and thought an ideal start would be Gondor, their ancient enemies. This had been the one and only time the Emperor had put his foot down against Olimnor. He would start no unprovoked war with Gondor.

Thinking of Olimnor brought up other unpleasant thoughts that Sadiya quickly pushed down. Pulling on the clean tunic left to her by the elves, she then reached into her saddle bags to pull out the little pot of kohl. Making her way over to the mirror, she quickly lined her eyes with an expert hand.

The Kohl's purpose was two fold. In the desert it protected one's eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. There was also an old superstition carried over from the ancient days when the Harad were a wandering desert tribe. Unlined eyes were an open door and an invitation for evil spirits to enter. The corners of Sadiya's mouth tugged upwards as she her the voice of her mother rail ate her when she had forgotten her Kohl. Her mother had been a devout follower of the old ways, always following the superstitions. Sadi didn't really believe it, but then again, why take the chance? Both men and women wore kohl from their naming ceremony at five years old until the day they died.

Closing the pot, she quietly slid it back into her weather warn saddle bags. She decided now would be a good time to find her little horse and make sure he was well taken care of and ready to restart their journey. Pushing open the ornately carved door, she began her search for the stables.

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	4. Lost ghosts

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"May I be of assistance Lady Sadiya?"

She pulled her eyes down from the mallorn tree she had been studying in awe to see Haldir looking at her with a bemused expression.

"Sadi please," she responded with a smile, relieved to see one of the few elves that seemed to speak Westron. She had been wandering around for the better part of an hour trying to find the stables. "And yes, I was trying to locate my horse when I was distracted by these trees!" she exclaimed, running her hands along the smooth white bark, "Tell me, do they grow elsewhere in the North? I saw none on my trek to Rivendell, I was however far to the west."

"The stables are located this way," Haldir first responded, motioning for Sadi to follow him, "And to answer your second question, no, mallorn trees are exclusive to Lorien. They were planted by the Lady Galadriel long ago, and grow nowhere else."

They were at the stable within minutes, and Sadi felt a little ridiculous for wandering around lost for so long. "My horse needs exercise to prevent him from tying up. Are there any short trails that I am permitted to take him out on?" A horse that has been in constant movement for long days will be crippled by knots in their muscles if suddenly confined to a small stall. Sadi was eager to leave in the morning, and couldn't be hindered by a lame horse.

Haldir nodded in understanding, and also saw an opportunity to inform her of his orders, "Actually, if you would permit to accompany you, I know a trail I think would be appropriate."

Sadi shrugged in acceptance, not entirely surprised. She may be their guest, but expecting them to allow a Harad girl to traipse about their forest unsupervised was asking a bit much of their hospitality. Besides, after having gained approval from the Lady Galadriel, the Marchwarden seemed much more pleasant than her initial impression.

Entering the stables, Sadi found her horse in good condition, brushed down, and happily munching on a bucket of grain. Seeing her he let out a small nicker, and shook his head, the beaded runes woven into his mane clinking together. She smiled and ran a hand along his soft neck. Harad horses were much slighter than their Northern counterparts, but with sturdy legs and wide strong hooves. They were bred for not only their speed, but their incredible endurance in the desert. They had been known carry a rider over hot dunes for days without a drop of water.

She threw her saddle onto the little gelding. He huffed in annoyance as she tightened the girth. Leading him out of the barn, she saw Haldir on a stunning bay, several hands higher than her little horse. She let out a whistle in appreciation, but then looked at Haldir with a grin, "Bet mines still faster."

He let out a small chuckle, but looked as if he doubted it. As always, Sadi briefly touched several of the runes in her horses mane before climbing into the saddle, and then squeezed her horse abreast to Haldir's as they started out on the trail. They went on in silence for a few minutes, Sadi just enjoying the sound of the horses' hooves, the breeze dancing through her dark hair, and the ethereal light that surrounded everything in Lorien.

"Sadi, may I ask what is braided into your horses mane?"

Sadi glanced over with a pleasant smile and replied, "They are runes, Marchwarden, some for good luck, some to prevent bad luck," she pointed to a carved green stone, "May I be untroubled by marauders," pointing to a blue one, "May all my wells be clean and full," to a red one, "May I never loose my way."

Haldir nodded, intrigued, "They are all luck for you, so why are they woven into your horse's mane?"

"Why because Haldir, if you are without your horse in the desert, your luck has obviously deserted you, and you may as well lay down and die!" she declared with a flippant toss of her hair, and then turning serious, but her dark blue eyes sparkling, she looked at him as if letting him in on a most important secret, "But fear not, I also have that covered." She held out her slight wrist to Haldir, revealing a delicately carved jade horse hanging off a bracelet, "So you see, if my horse here betrays me and runs off, I am still not without a horse, and so luck has not deserted me!" she declared, flashing him a bright grin and a wink.

Haldir let out a surprised laugh at this little Harad girl. He briefly held her gaze until she turned her smiling eyes back to the trail. If he had to leave Lorien for Harad, at least he had an interesting and amusing travel companion. Thinking of the impending journey, he sobered. Celeborn had left it to him to inform her of his assignment.

Haldir leaned slightly forward in the saddle as the began their trek uphill. He was leading them up the Cerin Amroth, the highest point in Lorien and a short ride from Caras Galadhon. He mulled over how to tell her she would have company on her return journey.

"When do you plan to continue on your journey?" he started.

"Tomorrow at first light. Once out of Lorien I estimate I have maybe ten days of hard riding to reach the Northern most part of Harad. From there I think maybe 3 days to Sarehna, barring any delays. Will you be accompanying me to the border of Lorien?"

Haldir figured that this would be as good a time as any to let her know, "Yes, actually, I will be joining you all the way to Sarehna."

Sadi turned in the saddle to look at him, clearly struggling for an appropriate response, "Oh, is that so? May I ask why?"

"Occationaly the Lord and Lady sees fit to send out one of us to gather news. In light of recent events, they found now an appropriate time. They have also never sent anyone as far south as Sarehna since your separation from Gondor hundreds of years ago. They wish to send me as a sign of friendship," Haldir responded, knowing that sounded a bit weak. He saw Sadi struggle to keep her face neutral as she decided whether or not to believe this.

She narrowed her eyes briefly, and then shrugged, as if resigned to the idea, "Well alright. Your company will be welcomed as it is a long road to travel alone," with that she turned back to the trail, but a small frown tugged at her mouth. Haldir felt guilty for his half-truth, but pushed the feeling out of his head. Just then they reached to top of the hill and were suddenly in a vast clearing. Haldir heard the girl's sharp intake of breath as she surveyed the view. Looking over at her, he saw her kohl lined eyes grow wide in wonder.

The gold winter grass reached up to their stirrups and made soft rustling sounds as their horses wove through it. From the clearing you could see the Misty Mountains to the west, and Lorien forest stretched out all below them. Across the field lay the ruins of a once great hall.

Sadi pulled her horse up in front of the hall and dismounted, deftly securing her horse to a post, and then started up the steps, hearing Haldir whisper something to his horse before following her. She gazed up the columns that remained standing, and the beautiful carvings that wrapped around the base.

Stepping deeper into the hall, the flutter of startled wings echoed as the disturbed birds scattered. The white granite tiles on the floor were pitted and cracked from the tufts of grass that fought their way through.

Reaching the end of the hall, Sadi stopped in front of a carving of a stunningly beautiful elf who was looking over her shoulder as she delicately lifted her skirts to step into the stream at her feet. Haldir came to a stop at her side.

Sadi ran her hand along the carved script below. "What does this say?" she asked him, barely above a whisper, not wishing to disturb the serenity of the hall.

Haldir softly translated,

"A star was bound upon her brows,

A light was on her hair

As sun upon the golden boughs

In Lórien the fair."

Sadi remained silent a moment before speaking again. "Who was she?"

"That is Nimrodel, Amroth's love. This was his hall, long ago, but she never resided here with him."

"What happened to them?"

"He waited for her on a boat bound for the Western Havens, but a great storm from the north forced the boat out to sea before she could meet him. He couldn't bear to be withouth Nimrodel, so he jumped off to swim to shore, but was drowned. Nimrodel disappeared into the mountains and was never seen again," came Haldir's somber reply.

The quiet serenity suddenly felt oppressive. The breeze that pushed through the hall felt ice cold, and Sadi pulled her cloak tighter around herself. She hadn't realized how dark it was in the hall. She felt uneasy looking at the smiling elf maiden who's eyes glowed out at her. The shadows in the hall whispered of lost ghosts.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, she stepped back, eager to leave this sad place and glanced at Haldir. He seemed to sense the change in the air as well. Sadi started to make her way out of the hall, struggling to keep her steps slow and even. She glanced back one last time at the elf maiden who remained as she always would, frozen in that one moment, just about to plunge into the stream.

*****


	5. So much for Stealth

Sorry for the long delay! Life gets in the way!

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Sadi idly traced designs in the dust with a stick as the fire crackled and spit in front of her. She tore her dark eyes away from the hypnotic flames and rested them on Haldir's broad frame as he sharpened his sword along a whetting stone. The firelight illuminated the blade and cast a glow against his light hair.

They'd been traveling together for the better part of ten days, but Haldir still remained something of a mystery to Sadi. She still knew almost nothing about him, or why he was really accompanying her. His first explanation of needing to gather news and being sent as a gesture of good will had sounded weak to Sadiya. One didn't just send their marchwarden south with a Haradrim as a gesture of good will after centuries of hardly any contact with the outside world. Sadi had a feeling it had more to do with gauging which side the Haradrim would take in the inevitable conflict that was approaching middle earth.

Likely feeling her eyes on him, Haldir suddenly looked up at Sadi. Sadi felt her stomach flop, but quickly shoved down the feeling. Haldir raised an inquiring eyebrow but did not break the rhythm of sharpening his blade. Whatever reason he was here, she wasn't going to voice her suspicions.

"Tomorrow morning we will ride off this mesa and be in the Harad," she started, tossing her twig into the fire, "this should be our last campfire. The Harad Road is home to marauding desert bands; we wouldn't want to alert them to our presence."

Haldir's blue eyes glanced up from his work again, "What sort of training do these men have?"

"Often they are just petty thieves banded together, no real training in way of swordsmanship, but we would likely be outnumbered. Some also have the nasty habit of poisoning their blades. Any raiders are hung if they are caught, so they safeguard against the possibility of any survivors being left to hold witness against them in tribunals."

"Wonderful," responded Haldir with a sigh. Sadi frowned, and felt slightly akward in the silence that settled.

"Do you mind taking the first watch?" she asked, partly to break the silence, he always took first watch..

"With pleasure," he responded, "Sleep well." Sadi thanked him and made her way over to her bedroll. As she struggled to get comfortable on the mesa's rocky ground, she thought of the next day when she would by lying on the much more comfortable sand of the Harad.

* * * *

The first thing that Sadi became aware of was of a firm hand shaking her awake. Snapping her eyes open, she quickly sat up. She registered Haldir kneeling next to her, gesturing for her to keep quiet. Leaning in he whispered, "A group of men are on their way, they saw the campfire. They plan to surprise us."

Sadi's eyes darted to the campfire, and then ran over the shrubby rocky mesa around them washed in moonlight, "What way are they coming from?" she murmured.

"South, I think I hear six of them."

"We'll cut around them to the east and get down off the mesa without them seeing, leave the campfire lit, we'll lead the horses," on the horses they would be easily seen, towering above the scrub brush.

"I agree," Haldir responded and helped her to her feet before they silently made their way over to the horses and crept off into the dark.

As they cut through the scrub brush as quickly as possible while remaining silent, Sadi began to hear the footsteps of the raiders' horses off to their left. Then, to Sadi's shock, she felt herself yanked up and back as her horse bolted backwards. He quickly came to a skidding stop, head in the air, nostrils flared as he stared towards the direction of the raiders. Sadi could see the whites of the gelding's eyes as he took in a long quivering breath. Knowing what was coming but desperate to avert it, Sadi yanked down hard on the reigns and squeaked, "I swear to the Gods above if you…." but to no avail. Her gelding let out an earsplitting shrieking whiney loud enough to wake the dead.

Sadi's jaw dropped in horror, already hearing the shouts from the raiders. She turned blazing eyes onto her jigging mount, "You stupid cow!!!" she cried giving another yank to the reigns. She looked over to see Haldir already mounted, bow drawn, arrow at the ready.

"So much for stealth," he quipped, letting the arrow fly/

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A bit short, but I wanted to get something up. More to come this weekend (fingers crossed). Review!


	6. Scratched Out

New chapter up! Thanks for the reviews!

***

Haldir's arrow hit the approaching marauder dead on, knocking the man off his horse. In the blink of an eye he had fired another two arrows with the same results. Four more men were fast approaching emitting a ululating cry. As he drew his broad sword, he looked over at the little Harad to see her already on her horse, sword drawn, kicking her mount towards the approaching fray. He had a moment to register surprise before he parried a blow from the first attacker. The man was strong, but his movements were wild and lacked any semblance of technique. Haldir made quick work of him.

A second man approached. Haldir gave a menacing smile. Time seemed to slow as the swarthy man glared with kohl rimmed eyes and flashed his rotted stubs of teeth, reining his horse closer to Haldir, scimitar drawn and glowing in the dark. Suddenly, the man made his move, taking an obvious swing aimed at Haldir's head. He parried and swung at the raider, landing a blow to the man's ribs. The attacker let out a shriek of pain, dropping his weapon in shock, collapsing forward onto his horse's neck. Task accomplished, Haldir turned and met eyes with Sadi, who was breathing hard from having fought off her two opponents. Suddenly, her pale face contorted with an emotion he didn't have time to register as he felt a sharp pain erupt in his shoulder.

He reached up and grabbed a throwing knife from where it was embedded in his shoulder. He already felt a throbbing burning radiating from the wound. Haldir, feeling dizzy, dragged his eyes back to the swarthy little man he'd assumed dead.

"Enjoy a slow death," the man laughed, spitting up blood before his dark eyes rolled back in his head.

Suddenly it was taking almost all of Haldir's strength to stay in the saddle. Shocked, he watched as his fingers dropped his sword and reins of their own volition. He heard a thump followed by hurried footsteps. Opening his eyes, which he hadn't realized were closed, Haldir found himself looking into kohl rimmed blue eyes. He blinked as his vision began to sway and blur.

"Haldir, Haldir?" he heard, but it sounded far away. All feeling began to cease as his vision faded away and went black.

*********

As Haldir swayed on his horse, Sadi did all she could to steady him from the ground.

"Haldir?" she asked again. The only response she got was a blank stare before his eyes shut and he slumped forward.

"May their rotting bodies feed the birds!" Sadi cursed. Clearly he had been poisoned, and she had a good guess with what, but she needed to confirm. Glancing at the ground she saw the small throwing knife at her feet. Assuring herself that Haldir was steady on his horse, she quickly dropped down and carefully picked it up. Holding it in her splayed palm, she raised it to catch the pre-dawn light. Even in the darkness a delicate purple-green iridescent sheen could be seen covering the blade from tip to handle.

Crushed Yer root, as she'd thought. She dropped it with a scowl. Glancing at the hunched and unconscious form of Haldir, she then surveyed the scene around her. Seven dead men lay about, along with their horses, which were grazing on the few blades of grass that sprouted from the rocks, oblivious to their owners' fates. Once the sun came up, the stench of death would become oppressive, and Sadi didn't have the strength to burry them all.

She knew that one of them would have an antidote for the poison, and the sooner she administered it to Haldir the better. However, once she got him off his horse, she wouldn't be moving him far. Hopping up onto his horse behind him, she directed them back to their former camp. She spread out her cloak beneath a sparse tree, hoping that it would provide him at least a little shade, and then pulled him off the horse. She cringed, as he hit the ground harder than she had intended.

His horse snorted at her as if indignant of his rider's less than dignified treatment. "He's heavier than he looks, and I don't see you helping him down any better," she muttered to the horse as she arranged him in what looked like a more comfortable position. The horse shook his head, making Sadi feel slightly less absurd about talking to the animal. Glancing down at Haldir, she guessed he would probably be less than thrilled at his incapacitated state with a near stranger as caretaker.

After tying up the horse, she walked back to the site of the skirmish. She quickly located the man that had poisoned Haldir and began searching the various leather pouches attached to his person. Pulling a small aluminum tin out of one, she opened it and let out a small cry of victory. The tangy smell of Mequita leaves wafted up to her from the brown salve. Yer and Mequita were plants that both grew quite prevalently along creek beds in the Harad desert. Yer root was very toxic, but a salve of Mequita on the wound or ingested within an hour of the poisoning would prevent death. Being so readily available, it was a common poison used by the raiders, but in the event that they somehow cut themselves on their own blade, they commonly carried an antidote.

She walked back to the camp, and found Haldir in a notably worse state than she had left him, in just the few minutes she had been gone. He was very pale and had begun shivering, having broken out in a cold sweat. Blood had soaked through his shirt and tunic. Sadi quickly pulled both off, and administered a liberal amount of the salve along the wound, cringing sympathetically. She couldn't bind the wound, as she would need to administer more salve, but she needed to return for the horses and didn't want it to be infected with flies or dust, so she draped her cloak over him before heading back.

As she walked back glanced around at the scenery, thinking she was sick of making this hike already. Looking at the dead raiders, she wondered what they were doing up here. The mesa was something of a no-mans land, rarely traveled by anyone. Sadi had never known of the thieves to make their way up here. She glanced at the dead men and momentarily pondered taking their swords to sell at market, but then decided against it, slightly disgusted with herself. A squeal drew her eyes away from the bodies as she saw her gelding dodging a nip from another horse.

"I'm sure you deserve it! You've almost killed our traveling partner!" Sadi informed the little roan, hands on her hips. She received no acknowledgement.

"Come on you ugly mule," she muttered, rolling her dark eyes as she grabbed the reins before gathering the rest of the herd she suddenly had on her hands.

Back at the camp she strung the horses on a long rope stretched between two of the sturdier shrubs and then started checking their saddle packs. All of the water canteens on the new horses were empty. Pulling a map out of one of the horses packs, Sadi found why.

The papyrus map was well worn, ragged at the edges. Upon it was sketched a map of the whole Harad region, with all water sources in the desert drawn and labeled in great detail. Any of the Haradrim that traveled outside of their town carried a similar map. Sadi had one in her packs. Not knowing where to find water in the desert could quickly prove fatal. Looking at this map, Sadi let out a low whistle. The raiders' presence on the mesa was now explained. The two nearest wells and watering holes had a dark scratch drawn through them, indicating that they had dried up. That left their nearest water source a four day ride from the mesa. Sadi nervously folded the map back up and tucked it into her tunic.

She quietly sat down next to her unconscious companion. Uncovering the wound, she again administered a layer of Mequita, as she would every half hour until he woke. Wiping her hand off on her dark trousers, Sadi let out a shaky sigh and pulled the map back out, eyes moving back and forth between the scratched out wells. Their journey to Sarehna had just become much more complicated.

*******


	7. Now I hire only the best chefs!

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR or anything related to it. I also do not own the song Sawah, it was written by Mohammed Hamza. The lyrics are arabic if you're curious.

Thanks to my new reviewers!

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"Ya amar ya naseenee,

Raseenee alee ghayeib,

Nawarlee, wareenee, seikeit el habayeib,

Waseitak, weiseiya, ya shaheid alaya,

Teikeelu alei beiya,

Weilee aseito blayaleiya"

As Sadi's fingers quickly unwove the runes braided into the raiders' horses' mane, she softly sang to herself to keep herself amused during the monotonous task. Haldir had not yet woken, but he was looking notably better. His color had returned and he was resting peacefully. As she pulled each rune out, she dropped them into the small cloth pouch. The pouch and runes would be burned at sunset.

Sadi was less than thrilled at starting another fire after the results of the previous one, but protocol had to be followed. Due to the owner's death, the runes were now very bad luck. To leave them in the horses' manes was inviting spirits and djinns to wreak havoc on Haldir and herself. And they certainly didn't need anymore bad luck.

"Sawah, wana mashee ,

Sawah, walla daree bhalee

Sawah, meil for-a ya ghalee,

Sawah, eih elee garalee," continuing to sing to herself, she felt both her current situation, and the task awaiting her when she reached Sarehna weighing on her. They could not go four days without water. Haldir would need to stay hydrated, and they only had a two day supply in their waterskins, even with careful rationing.

They would cut into the territory of the Bowden tribe. While the realm of Harad was mainly controlled by the Emperor Calhaldirum, the desert was home to several different tribes. Their sovereignty over certain parts of the Harad desert was respected. The Emperor and council saw little profit in fighting for control of the harshest part of the desert, leaving it to the tribes. The Bowen would respect both Sadi's family name and her position as a member of the high council. The seven horses and weapons she planned bring as an offering couldn't hurt either.

She paused, dropping another rune into the bag with a clink, crinkling her nose at the thought of taking the weapons off the dead men. Desperate times call for desperate measures. She would need an impressive offering for the Bowden Mullah. They would have water. She dropped a rune for success in battle into the bag, raising an eyebrow at the irony.

"Wein laakom habibee, saleimulee alei,

Tameinuneel asmaranee, amla eil el ---." glancing over her shoulder to check on Haldir she promptly went quiet. He was awake, looking up at the sky. Hearing her go quiet, he looked over at her and started to raise himself up to his elbows.

"No, no! Stay down!" Sadi called out, striding over to him. He dropped back down with a grunt. Once she reached him, she lowered herself to her knees at his side, brushing a lock of his hair aside that threatened to find its way into the Mequita salve. "It would be unwise to attempt to rise so soon."

Haldir's brow furrowed and he closed his eyes again, holding his good arm over his eyes. "Poisoned?"

"Yes, Yer root. Luckily the man had the antidote on him. You've been unconscious for about eight hours," she replied. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been drug behind a horse down a rocky creek bed, and my joints burn," came his response, voice weak and gravely.

Sadi held the waterskin to his lips, and although she knew he needed it, she inwardly cringing as he took liberal gulps. She would mention their new route and the reason for it when he was more recovered.

"Speaking from personal experience, that burning should be gone by tomorrow, Mequita root works fast. You should be as good as new within a few days."

"Personal experience?" He repeated.

"Hmmm, yes, I accidentally poisoned myself with Yer root in a misguided cooking attempt," Sadi responded with an air of nonchalance. Haldir uncovered his eyes to flash her an incredulous look. The corner of her mouth quirked up as she lay down the waterskin, and when she met his gaze that same amused look that had lit up her eyes when she showed him her bracelet back in Lorien flashed across her face. She leaned against the tree with legs crossed, and resting her elbows on her knees, she placed her chin in her hands.

"Yes, I was eight years old and it was a result of an argument with my father. We were visiting our country house, but our normal cook could not accompany us. I'm embarrassed to say, in one of my less shining moments as a child, I was complaining quite rudely about our new chef's culinary skills. My father responded that I should keep my insolent tongue in my head, seeing as a I was incapable of performing a single task in the kitchen myself," she smiled remembering, "Quite outraged by his claim, which by the way was completely accurate, I decided that I would show him by creating a feast for myself for lunch. I decided upon a meal of roast wild boar and fresh greens as an accompaniment. I made my way down to the creek and picked anything that I thought looked edible. Marching back up to the house I made my way to the kitchen. I victoriously began chopping my salad knowing that I'd show all of them, and popped a small chunk of what I thought to be ginger into my mouth, and promptly passed out, somehow managing to take the table with me!" she recalled. "The commotion brought everyone running into the kitchen to find me unconscious, Yer root in hand. Luckily I'd also picked a good amount of Mequita, saving them the trouble of having to search for some. The cook promptly boiled a tea with the leaves, and I was good as new a few days later. I just suppose it is a good thing I put myself out of commission before I had the chance to attempt to hunt down a boar for my roast!"

"I've never been more thankful to have plenty of Lembas on hand!" joked Haldir, "remind me never to eat your cooking."

"Hey! I have learned the error of my ways! I only hire the best of cooks!" she stated, flashing him a wink, "In addition to this, my father promptly hired a botanist to instruct me on all of the plants in the region, an attempt at ensuring that I would never unwittingly poison myself again," she laughed, surprised to be joking with Haldir so easily. This was the longest conversation that they had carried on since leaving Lorien. In the quiet she remained sitting by his side, happy to rest a moment before turning back to the task of unbraiding the runes.

Haldir looked up at the sky, but then looked back at Sadi. "That was a lovely song you were singing, but I am unfamiliar with the language."

Sadi felt shy at the elf having caught her singing, but tried to remain nonchalant while answering, "It is a very old song called Sawah. It is the old desert language. Most of us Harad have some ancestors that were desert nomads. We no longer use their language, speaking Westron, but we still sing their songs in the old way."

"What was it about?"

"A traveler, being far away from his beloved, it says:

Oh moon, who is forgetting me?

Take me to the absent one,

Enlighten me; show me the road to the beloved

I've made you promise, you who witnessed

To tell her of my state

And what I've suffered during my nights.

And if you see my beloved, say "Hello" to her,

Reassure me: how is my brown-looking girl doing so far away,

Vagabond, I'm walking all night,

Vagabond, not knowing what I'm doing,

Vagabond, and the separation, oh my dear,

Vagabond, what has happened to me?

And years, years, and I'm melting in loneliness and tenderness,

I want to know just where is her road," she translated. "Or at least, that is part of it," she trailed off with a shrug.

"The melody does not seem sad, but the words are," Haldir commented.

"I agree, it's always seemed a bit strange to me, but I love it anyways."

Haldir nodded, looking a bit spent from the conversation. Sadi glance up at the sun. There was still close to an hour until sunset, but she had two more horses worth of runes to unbraid. "You should try to rest more, are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you," he responded, offering a smile, although he was once again looking paler. Sadi satisfied herself that he comfortable, and then returned to her tedious task, glancing back every now and then to assure herself that he was resting well.

******

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it, and it is nice to begin building the relationship between Haldir and Sadi.


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